[Jem]

Julia's Baby Photo Treat from Oprah



Julia Roberts served up an unexpected treat for pal OPRAH yesterday (10FEB05) by letting the talk show queen be the first to show off her twin babies.

The movie star sent her friend pictures of herself and babies PHINNAEUS and HAZEL, which were taken by her cameraman husband Danny Moder at their home in Taos, New Mexico, and gave her permission to broadcast them on her show.

Winfrey couldn't wait to show them to her viewers on her programme, while cooing over her new 'niece' and 'nephew,' and she teared up as she read a tender note Roberts sent with the pictures.

The Pretty Woman star wrote, "Dear friend, things here are terrific. Snow is falling as I write to you. Beautiful. As you may have heard on November 28 we doubled the citizenship of our family and life became more recognisable then ever before.

"Oh, Oprah, the babies are amazing. The way they stare into your eyes, their exuberant smiles, how they begin each day all warm and sleepy, smelling of promise.

"I suppose I never realised if before, babies aren't really born of their parents, they're born of every kind word, loving gesture, hope and dream their parents ever had. Bliss.

"Can't wait to see you and fill your arms with our Phinn' and Hazel. Until then, just know there are two more Moders in the world who love you as much as Danny and I do. The warmest embrace from too far away. Yours, Julia."

A tearful Winfrey, referring to herself as Auntire O, cooed, "Aren't they precious? They are cute aren't they?" as she looked at the photographs, before stating, "Julia and Danny, your babies are beautiful... Welcome to the world little Moders."

[Jem]

Celine Dion's Husband Explains Hush Money


Celine Dion and Rene Angelil

LAS VEGAS (AP) - A lawyer for singer Celine Dion's husband, Rene Angelil, recounted in a Clark County courtroom details of a $2 million payment and an apology Angelil made to a woman who accused him of rape in 2000.

Angelil also underwent a blood test to screen for HIV, according to proceedings Wednesday in a felony extortion trial against the rape accuser's husband, Ae Ho Kwon.

But lawyer Martin Singer said Angelil, his client, always denied sexual misconduct with the woman, Yun Kyeong Kwon Sung, in a Las Vegas Strip hotel room. "We wanted confidentiality to make sure if money is paid, no one will ever become aware of this allegation again," Singer said.

Clark County District Court Judge Jackie Glass ruled Wednesday that Angelil was not properly served with a subpoena and will not have to testify at Kwon's trial. The judge said previously she wanted to keep Kwon's trial from focusing on Angelil's civil dealings with Sung.

Kwon, a Presbyterian minister from Pasadena, Calif., is being tried on charges of extortion, conspiracy to commit extortion and witness soliciting a bribe.

Defense lawyer Lisa Rasmussen had sought to cross-examine Angelil about the extortion accusations. "Everyone has been very protective of Mr. Angelil," Rasmussen said.

Another Angelil lawyer, David Chesnoff, said in court Wednesday that that at the time Angelil paid Sung and Kwon, Angelil decided it was best to settle the case even though he did nothing wrong.

"Rene Angelil at the time was suffering from cancer, his wife was going through a difficult time, and he did whatever he could to make these people go away," Chesnoff said. "Little did he know that they (Sung and Kwon) would try to extort him."

Singer said that about a year after the 2000 payment and apology, Sung and Kwon demanded Angelil pay an additional $20 million. Sung said she had a dress that probably had Angelil's DNA on it and that she possessed Angelil's underwear.

Sung later filed police reports in Las Vegas claiming rape, but police closed the investigation after Sung refused to turn over the dress and other items. Sung and Kwon were arrested after a January 2003 meeting between attorneys. No charges ever were filed against Angelil.

Sung was convicted last year of extortion and other charges and sentenced in January to 28 months to five years in prison. The native of South Korea also faces deportation in a separate federal immigration case.

[Jem]

Berry, Gellar Nix William Morris
By Sarah Hall



Apparently, Sarah Michelle Gellar (above) is more than capable of holding a grudge.

The actor left the William Morris Agency in a huff this week after learning of unflattering comments that WMA President David Wirtschafter made about her in a lengthy New Yorker profile.

In the piece, titled "Secret Agent Man," in the New Yorker's "Letter from California" feature, Wirtschafter said Gellar was "nothing at all" before the success of the horror flick The Grudge.

An outraged Gellar rapidly exited the agency, apparently in favor of management that can better appreciate her Buffy the Vampire Slayer acting chops. Gellar wasn't the only Tinseltown type ticked off by Wirtschafter's candor in the 12-page piece, in which he made cutting remarks about numerous clients.



On Thursday, Halle Berry (above) also bid a not so fond farewell to WMA in response to the article, reportedly feeling that it assaulted her privacy and rights as an agency client, per Daily Variety.

The Oscar winner was the subject of three paragraphs in the article, which quoted from a finance-related discussion Wirtschafter had with Berry's attorney about her starring role in the upcoming Perfect Stranger. "She will be treated as an investor in the film for the difference," Wirtschafter is quoted as saying, "and for every dollar she invests she would get a dollar-fifty out of the gross until she recoups a hundred and fifty per cent [sic] of her investment."

Wirtschafter also stated that the Catwoman star was willing to "give up a little money to get a good director or costar." Me-ow. Apparently, Berry is not willing to have her financial matters aired in a public forum.

The thesp is reportedly not seeking new agency representation at this time. Perhaps concerned about losing additional clients, WMA issued an apology in an apparent effort to soothe ruffled feelings.

"As an agency, we are deeply sorry if any remarks in the New Yorker story have caused any hurt feelings or ill will," a WMA spokesperson told Variety. "It was never our intention to hurt anyone."

[salter-path]

[size=18]Sheen's Parents Lash Out at Press Reports



Charlie Sheen's parents have gone public with their distaste about press reports suggesting the actor's wild ways were responsible for his recent split from wife Denise Richards.

The former Bond girl shocked Hollywood last month when she filed for divorce from the former bad boy, leading to speculation the actor had returned to his womanizing ways. Neither Sheen nor Richards have spoken about the reasons for their split, but now his father Martin Sheen has issued a statement to the US media, urging them to lay off his son - because the split is not his fault.

Sheen states, "While we profoundly care, we have never interfered with our adult children's romantic relationships or marriages. What happens between two people in a relationship or marriage is so private and deeply personal that it is not possible for anyone outside to truly understand or judge responsibly. The marriage between Charlie and Denise is no exception. Having clarified that, we cannot remain silent during what appears to be a ruthless and savage attack by the media on Charlie's character. To imply that he is in any way regressing to the behavior (sic) that cost him so dearly and almost ended his life just seven years ago is not only the lowest form of journalism, but sinks to the level of defamation. With the graves of some of our brightest young talent still fresh, it would behoove us all to pause and give thanks for Charlie's remarkable success and heroic recovery."

[Jem]

Lauren Bacall Updates Autobiography
By Bob Thomas, Associated Press Writer

LOS ANGELES - Lauren Bacall sits in a secluded corner of the outdoor dining area of a tony Westside hotel for a twilight interview. She's near the end of a book promotion tour, which she found more strenuous than the movie tours of her Hollywood days, and she's in need of a little pick-me-up: "I'd like a pot of tea with a thermos of boiling water," she instructs a waiter.

A longtime New Yorker, she has returned to her old stomping grounds — the house she shared with Humphrey Bogart was just a couple miles away — to hawk her new-old book, "By Myself and Then Some." It's a unique publishing venture: The first part is a reprint of her excellent 1978 memoir, "By Myself." It is followed by "And Then Some," which brings her life up to date.

Why do it that way?

"I wasn't convinced it was such a great idea," she explains, "until my literary agent said, 'Listen, it's 25 years since "By Myself" was published. You've had a life since then; a lot of things have happened. There's a whole new generation who could read your autobiography.' I do get an amount of fan mail, and a lot of young people say, 'I wanted to buy your book and I can't find it.' So I thought maybe I should try it."

The waiter returns with a ceramic teapot covered with a cozy. Bacall reiterates her request for a thermos. She acknowledges that updating her life sometimes proved to be painful, especially recalling the loss in a year's span of many close friends, "each of them very important to me; it was like an epidemic." Among them: Roddy McDowall, songwriter Adolph Green, playwright Peter Stone, actors Alec Guinness, John Gielgud, Gregory Peck and Katharine Hepburn, and writer-director George Axelrod. "The (losses) chip away at your own life, and the world gets smaller," Bacall says.



Her friendship with Hepburn dated back to 1951 and the location for "The African Queen." The bond deepened with the deaths of Bogart and Spencer Tracy. Bacall writes poignantly of her many visits to Hepburn in her Connecticut retirement and what happened the last time she was there: "I walked right over to her chair in the living room, sat next to her, kissed her. She seemed to know me a little." And when Bacall was about to leave, Hepburn, who had been silent, said, "Please stay." After a half-hour, Bacall kissed Hepburn's cheeks, and Hepburn whispered, "Thank you."

A new waiter presents another cozied teapot. Bacall responds testily, "What is the problem, there's no thermos in this hotel? I have a thermos of hot water every single morning. Go to the kitchen and ask for a thermos."

The classic Bacall face seems little touched by her 80 years, an observation she treats with customary frankness: "When people say I look just the same, I tell them to take another look. My mirror doesn't tell me that."

Her last two years have been amazingly busy. Beside writing the book, she has done TV commercials and given lectures that include film clips, commentary and Q&A — her favorite part of the show. Her most recent film was "Birth," starring Nicole Kidman.

Waiter No. 2 finally brings the thermos, steaming hot. Bacall thanks him, and he withdraws, apologetic and seemingly dazed. "For good or ill, I'm honest. I don't think there's enough of that around," she says. The thermos affair was pure Bacall: outspoken, opinionated, undaunted, a bit quirky. She has been known to wither interviewers who ask stupid questions.

But she also has a tender side, especially when she talks about her children — Stephen, who is working in documentary films, and Leslie, a yoga therapist, both by Humphrey Bogart, and an actor, Sam, by her marriage to Jason Robards. Bacall positively glows when she talks about her four grandchildren.

Stephen and Leslie oversee the use of their father's likeness in TV commercials, print ads and other media. "When Bogie died, suddenly people were using him in the most common, horrible way," Bacall says. "If anybody was going to make any money out of this, it's not going to be strangers, it's going to be his children."


Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall at the
24th Academy Awards, Hollywood, 1952

The most readable portions of "By Myself" remain her romance with Bogart, their marriage and her devotion during his final agonizing battle with cancer. "I am always associated with him in people's minds — 'the greatest love story ever told.' You can't get away from that. He'd never believe it, of course," she says.

"It's great that he's still appreciated by so many, because he's worth it. He was a very special human being, Bogart."

[Cman]

Cookie Monster Advocating Eating Healthy
By CHELSEA J. CARTER, AP National Writer

NEW YORK - Something must be wrong in the land of Muppets. First PBS announced that "Sesame Street" would kick off its 36th season this week with a multiyear story arc about healthy habits. No problem there; childhood obesity rates are soaring. Then I learned of changes that turned my "Sesame Street" world upside-down.

My beloved blue, furry monster — who sang "C is for cookie, that's good enough for me" — is now advocating eating healthy. There's even a new song — "A Cookie Is a Sometimes Food," where Cookie Monster learns there are "anytime" foods and "sometimes" foods. "Sacrilege!" I cried. "That's akin to Oscar the Grouch being nice and clean." (Co-workers gave me strange looks. But I didn't care.)

Being a journalist, I did the only thing I knew how to do. I investigated why "Sesame Street" gave Cookie Monster a health makeover.

The answer would lead me into a world where television producers worked with health experts and politicians, a place where Cookie Monster does care about his health, and by association, the health of children.

The first place I headed was the Internet. On the Sesame Street Web site, little had changed. There was Cookie Monster, in all his blue furriness. He was holding a plate of cookies. He was chomping on a cookie. He still looked the same. But as we all know, looks can be deceiving.

So I searched the site for news on Cookie Monster and up popped a press release about the show's "Healthy Habits for Life" emphasis. Buried near the bottom was a one-sentence mention about Cookie Monster eating fewer cookies.

But what did that mean? Scarfing one plateful instead of two?


I picked up the telephone. "What's going on with Cookie Monster?" I asked the "Sesame Street" press office. "Why are you doing this?" They sent me to Dr. Rosemarie T. Truglio, the show's vice president of research and education.

She said the show changes every year, focusing not just on teaching numbers and letters but also emotional and physical health. With the rise in childhood obesity, Truglio said "Sesame Street" is concentrating on the need to teach children about healthy foods and physical activity.

This season, each episode opens with a "health tip" about nutrition, exercise, hygiene and rest.

Truglio said "Sesame Street" also will introduce new characters, such as talking eggplants and carrots, and offer parodies, such as "American Fruit Stand." Even guest stars will address healthy activities, such as Alicia Keys talking and singing about the importance of physical activity.

Even politicians have gotten into the act, filming public service announcements with "Sesame Street" residents. In one taping, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist taught Elmo to exercise — jumping up and down. In another, Sen. Hillary Clinton and the small red monster discuss the various textures and tastes of foods.

But what about their position on Cookiegate?

"Even Cookie Monster is learning to control his cookie cravings," Frist told me by e-mail. "His sage advice opened our eyes to the simple joys of a tasty cookie and now reminds us that moderation is the key to healthy living." Cookie Monster was not available for comment. (I'm hoping he hasn't gone too Hollywood.)

"We are not putting him on a diet," said his spokesman, Truglio. "And we would never take the position of no sugar. We're teaching him moderation."

The furry one also plans to try different kinds of cookies (read: healthier cookies) rather than his just staple, chocolate chip. But will he still scarf his food? Yes, plus the occasional object, Truglio said.

But isn't that unhealthy? Her reply: He's still Cookie Monster.

Cookie Monster appears to be happy with the new "sometimes food" song, because at the end he warbles: "Is sometimes now?"

"Yes," he's told.

So there it is. Cookie Monster still gobbles cookies, he's just a healthier version of his old self. His eyes are still googly, his fur is still scruffy and he's still messy.

Even "Sesame Street" recognizes that we all need guilty pleasures.

[Jem]

Celebs Join Inuits at Earth Day Event
By BETH DUFF-BROWN, Associated Press Writer



TORONTO - Hollywood stars Salma Hayek and Jake Gyllenhaal joined Canadian Inuits in the Arctic Circle for a traditional spring dance on Earth Day Friday, seeking to highlight the effect of global warming on northern Canadians.

The celebrities joined some 1,000 Inuit — half of whom were children — in their traditional dress and followed elders onto an ice floe to form the image of an Inuit drum dancer. From the air, photographers were able to see the humans spell out the words: "Arctic Warning: Listen."

Hayek told reporters on a conference call Friday from the Arctic frontier of Iqaluit, Nunavut that the Inuit were survivors. "We have a lot to learn from them if we follow their wonderful wisdom. Just listen to the land."

The Natural Resources Defense Council, which sponsored the event with Global Green USA, said even conservative scientific estimates show that half the summer sea ice in the Arctic will melt by the end of this century, as the region warms another 7 to 13 degrees.

The softening permafrost has already driven caribou and polar bears further north. The World Wide Fund for Nature said earlier this year that many polar bears and some seal species could face extinction in just decades because of global warming. "Global warming is an abstract concept to most people; we know it's happening, but we can't really visualize its effect," Gyllenhaal said. "Unfortunately, the Inuit people put a human face on global warming, they are literally melting away. They are the canary in the coal mine."

Many scientists argue that global warming is caused by emissions from the burning of fossil fuels collecting in the Earth's atmosphere. "Each of us has a stake in combatting global warming, and the Inuit have reminded us that the clock is ticking," said Matt Petersen, president of Global Green. "While our federal government in the U.S. fails to act, we must follow the lead of places, such as California and Canada, that are actively reducing their global warming emissions."

Some six million Canadians were expected to attend thousands of events to celebrate the 35th Earth Day, such as picking up garbage and planting trees. Canada has some of the world's most pristine forests and seas and Canadians are fiercely proud of efforts to protect their abundant natural resources.

[Jem]

O'Donnell and MacDowell Take a 'Bus'
By Jay Bobbin



LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Rosie O'Donnell and Andie MacDowell aren't the likeliest duo to stage a sister act.

Nevertheless, they do in "Riding the Bus With My Sister," a frequently bemusing yet dramatic and true new movie CBS airs Sunday, May 1, as the 224th Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation. MacDowell portrays Rachel Simon, the author of the same-named book inspired by Rachel's challenging relationship with her developmentally disabled sibling (O'Donnell), left on her own when their father dies.

A fashion photographer for purposes of the movie, Rachel (a professor in real life) has kept a distance from the spirited Beth, but she reluctantly accepts that must change since Beth can't maintain her independent living without the at-home supervision their late dad provided. Rachel puts her busy career on hold and moves in with Beth, who is all too aware of the emotional divide between them. Helping to bridge the gap is the friendly driver (D.W. Moffett) of the city bus Beth takes regularly.


Directed by Oscar-winning actress Anjelica Huston and adapted by veteran TV-movie writer Joyce Eliason ("Small Sacrifices"), the film also features Richard T. Jones ("Judging Amy") as Beth's boyfriend, who is as shy as she is gregarious.
Also an executive producer of the project, O'Donnell appreciates that playing Beth was "scary. That's the reason I left the show (O'Donnell's syndicated 1996-2002 talk show), because I felt I had accomplished everything within that venue that I could. It got to be about staying just for the money, and frankly, I was always in it for the art. You learn how to juggle eight balls and people say, 'Keep doing it,' but I already knew how. I needed to try something that terrified me artistically, and this did."

O'Donnell realizes a part like Beth Simon is "a hard thing to pull off. When you see actors who do it brilliantly, like Sean Penn in 'I Am Sam,' you watch them with awe. When I read this book, I thought, 'If I was braver, I'd be in the movie.' Then I talked to the writer, and before I knew it, Anjelica Huston was directing the movie ... and how do you say 'no' to that?"

Huston had wanted to direct O'Donnell earlier, in the 1999 release "Agnes Browne," but O'Donnell explains she ultimately wasn't ready then: "It was actually worse than that: I had already said yes, and I had met with her and the writer. It was the summer before year two of my show, and I didn't realize how tired I would be. When I got closer to it, and I felt so exhausted and out of touch with my kids, I called Anjelica and told her I couldn't do it. It was crushing, but physically and emotionally, I needed a rest."

O'Donnell and MacDowell weren't strangers when they began filming "Riding the Bus With My Sister," since the "Four Weddings and a Funeral" actress had appeared on O'Donnell's talk show. "She was so prepared; I think she nails this performance," MacDowell says. "Every day with her was a breathtaking experience, because she really 'got' Beth and made her very real and very believable for me. She put her heart and soul into it."

Still, O'Donnell believes MacDowell has the tougher of the two lead roles in "Riding the Bus With My Sister." MacDowell doesn't necessarily disagree, reasoning that Rachel "feels that she knows everything, and she doesn't realize that she's about to learn so much from someone who is handicapped. In the end, Rachel is the one who's really handicapped; that's the perspective I took it from, at least."

MacDowell met the real Rachel Simon and found her "a very interesting lady. Right after I finished the movie, I came home and my book club was reading the book, so I had sort of an insider's view in talking about it." Conversely, O'Donnell didn't meet her real-life counterpart, reporting that "her sister and the other producers decided it might be a little bit much for her. We didn't want to disrupt her world too much."

O'Donnell adds that Rachel sat down with Beth "in a park and interviewed her on videotape for about 40 minutes. I watched that over and over, and I worked on playing Beth for a good six months before we started shooting." The chance to work with MacDowell excited O'Donnell, who reveals they have the same agent. "It's like prostitutes who have the same pimp; all the girls know each other. I always knew Andie was amazingly beautiful and talented, and I thought, 'She wants to do a TV movie? Excellent.'"

Although MacDowell did an episode of "The Practice" and the 2001 HBO movie "Dinner With Friends," she usually leans toward big-screen projects such as "sex, lies and videotape," "Groundhog Day" and the current "Beauty Shop." She says "something of the caliber" of "Riding the Bus With My Sister" keeps television work on her radar. "Obviously, a lot of television projects don't have the substance of this material. Having Rosie O'Donnell and Anjelica Huston brings it up several more notches and makes it that much more interesting."

Starting May 29, O'Donnell also will appear in a three-episode arc on the Showtime series "Queer as Folk." While "Riding the Bus With My Sister" gives her room to inject much of her familiar persona, she maintains, "I really just tried to serve the story. I know that sounds corny, but I think people are more similar than everybody says. Between me and Beth, one of us has a few more filters for societal integration, but she's as content and happy and full a person as anyone."

[Jem]

Friends Recall James Dean
By Jay Bobbin



LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) - Almost a half-century after his death, the legend of James Dean lives on.

In "James Dean: Sense Memories," many of those who knew him retrace the final year of the brooding, iconic actor whose influence has been felt across generations, although he had only three starring vehicles -- "East of Eden," "Rebel Without a Cause" and "Giant." The new documentary launches the 19th season of the.

Woven between clips of Dean in his movies and in interviews are comments from fellow performers Martin Landau, Eartha Kitt and Lois Smith. Also featured are filmmakers George Stevens Jr., whose father directed Dean in "Giant," and Mark Rydell.

Landau, who would go on to television fame in "Mission: Impossible" and an Oscar win for "Ed Wood," was particularly close to Dean during their days as struggling actors in 1950s New York. He admits that at the time, though, he didn't necessarily want it widely known. "Marlon Brando had two good friends," Landau says, "both of whom were good actors and good guys, but you couldn't say their names without also saying 'Marlon's friend.' I didn't want that. It was like having a title, and I didn't want to be known just as Jimmy's friend.

"I felt I had a career in store, and (such a close identification is) almost like being the sibling of someone who's well-known. It's hard to shake that. I didn't know Jimmy would die, but I knew his career would flourish, and I didn't want to be in his shadow."

Landau vividly recalls receiving the news that Dean had died in a car accident on Sept. 30, 1955. "I was home, and I got several phone calls." He also remembers the effect of watching Dean on the screen.

"You hadn't seen anyone quite like him on film before, and it obviously reached out, because it still has an impact on people. If you talk to Martin Sheen, he'll probably tell you he's an actor because of James Dean. There's a timelessness to what he did, because it still resonates."

[Jem]

'Beckham' Star Takes on 'Elvis'
By John Crook



LOS ANGELES (Zap2it.com) -Filmed with the cooperation of the Elvis Presley Estate, the TV movie is anchored by a charismatic star performance by Irish actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers ("Bend It Like Beckham"). He delivers a compelling and persuasive portrayal of the King of Rock 'n' Roll from his days as a struggling teenager in 1952 Memphis, Tenn., to his 1968 "comeback special" for NBC.

Although the tone of the movie is generally respectful, "Elvis" is surprisingly candid in its portrayal of the singer's increasingly unpredictable mood swings and drug use. The teleplay underscores the influence of the two personalities who were both a blessing and bane to Presley: his mother, Gladys (Camryn Manheim), a loving but depressed and neurotic woman who never fully recovered from the death of Elvis' twin brother in infancy, and "Colonel" Tom Parker (Randy Quaid), the carny guy-turned-music manager who made Elvis a millionaire even as he dashed his client's dreams of a serious acting career.


The film also notes in passing Presley's courtship and marriage to Priscilla Beaulieu (newcomer Antonia Bernath), and his brief but torrid fling with co-star Ann-Margret (Rose McGowan) while they were filming "Viva Las Vegas."
Rhys Meyers -- who had only 10 days to prepare for this iconic role -- lip-syncs to Presley master recordings in the musical sequences and acutely captures the performer's graceful sex appeal and slurring drawl without descending into parody.

"I'm doing my own impression, as an actor, of how I see Elvis Presley," the 27-year-old actor says. "I'm sure there's going to be some Elvis stickler out there who says, 'Whoops, he did that with the wrong hand.' Well, as if. I don't care. All I care about is being entertaining. And I've never been afraid of falling flat on my face."

Although he was only a month old when Presley died in 1977, Rhys Meyers was still vividly aware of the Elvis legend and legacy.

"Elvis was sort of the most gorgeous fellow in the world and such a huge star that everyone knew Elvis well," he says. "Even when you were a little kid in Ireland, you were able to sing the first few bars of 'Hound Dog.'

"Then, as I grew up, people and the tabloids concentrated more on 'Vegas Elvis': fat jumpsuits and karate chops onstage. That's really not what we're concentrating on, which is the young Elvis Presley from Tupelo, Miss., who grew up into a phenomenon. If they had wanted to go into that later Vegas period, I wouldn't have done it."

As his manager and nemesis, Quaid says he was fascinated to discover that "Colonel" Parker remains such an enigma, even after his death.

"He was more impressed with the reaction of the audience than with Elvis himself. In fact, he never really liked Elvis' music, never really got it," Quaid says of his character.

"He saw a product that he could hawk, like he could hawk souvenirs at a carnival. From day one, he fabricated, manipulated, maneuvered, cajoled, whatever it took, to fulfill his vision of Elvis: namely, to milk Elvis for everything he could, whether that lasted a year or 20 years."

[Jem]

Stones Announce New Album, World Tour
BY LARRY McSHANE
Associated Press Writer



NEW YORK - Roll over Beethoven, and tell Tchaikovsky the news: The Rolling Stones announced a new album and world tour Tuesday with a three-song mini-concert at one of Manhattan's bastions of classical music, the Juilliard School.

The familiar crunching riff of "Start Me Up" was greeted with a roar from hundreds of fans filling Lincoln Center from its plaza to its rooftops, as sixtysomething lead singer Mick Jagger launched into the lyrics. "Thank you very much guys," Jagger told the cheering crowd at the century-old conservatory on a sunny spring afternoon. "This is one of the earliest concerts we've played."

The brief show promoted the tour that begins Aug. 21 at Fenway Park, where the legendary rock dinosaurs will play in front of the Green Monster. Dates in North America will continue through December.

The as-yet-untitled new album is "about 85 percent done," Jagger said. It would be the first collection of all-new material from the Stones since 1997's "Bridges to Babylon."

Prices will average $100-105 per ticket, with seats for the first shows — in Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, N.C., and Calgary, Alberta — going on sale Saturday. Shows will continue next year in South America, Asia and Europe.

The North American dates will alternate between stadiums, arenas and smaller venues. The last Stones tour, in 2002-03, generated $88 million in ticket sales in North America during its first year.

Along with "Start Me Up," the Stones debuted a new song — "Oh No Not You Again" — before tearing into "Brown Sugar." A flub in the new material prompted Jagger to turn a bit professorial. "I think the examiners at Juilliard would have us come back and retake that one," Jagger said as guitarist Keith Richards shrugged. It was the Stones' first live performance at a press event since they played while riding a flatbed truck through Manhattan — a stunt recreated last year by U2.

Scores of Juilliard students in Rolling Stones T-shirts danced and cheered enthusiastically during the set, as Jagger pranced on stage. Richards, a disciple of "Roll Over Beethoven" songwriter Chuck Berry, traded leads with fellow guitarist Ronnie Wood.

At a news conference afterward, drummer Charlie Watts was asked about his fight against throat cancer. "I'm fine," said Watts, who underwent six weeks of radiation therapy last year.

Watts said this was the last Stones' tour, but his bandmates were quick to contradict that claim. "We don't plan that this is the last tour, and we certainly don't announce it," said Jagger, calling that "a trap" aimed at getting money from fans. "We take each tour as it comes."

Richards, 61, said money was not the point of this return to the road. "You can have the money," he told a journalist asking about the potential windfall from the tour.

[DivaSupreme]

from Forbes.com

Bruce Lee
Occupation: Cinematic martial arts icon
Date of Death: July 20, 1973
Age at Death: 32
Cause of Death: Cerebral edema
Lifetime Achievement: Developed martial art style called Jeet Kune Do.
Death-Time Achievement: Starred in Enter the Dragon, which premiered in Hong Kong on July 26, 1973, six days after Lee's death. Fortunately, the film was completed well before Lee died. One Hollywood producer reportedly gushed, "His death was like a $2 million publicity campaign!"

Brandon Lee
Occupation: Actor, son of cinematic martial arts icon
Date of Death: March 31, 1993
Age at Death: 28
Cause of Death: Fatally wounded by faulty prop revolver
Lifetime Achievement: Cast in Legacy of Rage and Showdown at Little Tokyo.
Death-Time Achievement: Starred in The Crow, which premiered on May 11, 1994. Eerily the movie's final scene--which Lee had been filming when he died--called for his character to be shot. Special effects house Dream Quest Images was able to digitally conjure his ghost to complete several other unfinished scenes.

Elvis Presley
Occupation: Rock 'n' roll king, peerless pelvis shaker
Date of Death: Aug. 16, 1977--or so they say
Age at Death: 42
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Lifetime Achievement: King of rock 'n' roll.
Death-Time Achievement: One U.S. No. 1 album: Elvis 30 No. 1 Hits (2002), and two chart-topping singles: "A Little Less Conversation" (2002 remix) and "Rubberneckin'" (2003 remix). In addition to numerous unconfirmed sightings, Presley also starred (via video) in a lavish concert production in Memphis, Tenn., Elvis in Concert '97, with former band mates and the Memphis Symphony Orchestra.

Ray Charles
Occupation: Soul legend
Date of Death: June 10, 2004
Age at Death: 73
Cause of Death: Acute liver disease
Lifetime Achievement: His beloved rendition of "Georgia on my Mind" was approved as the official state song of Georgia on April 24, 1979.
Death-Time Achievement: Won eight Grammys at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards on Feb. 13, 2005.

Mozart
Occupation: Composer, enfant terrible
Date of Death: Dec. 5, 1791
Age at Death: 35
Cause of Death: Disputed
Lifetime Achievement: Composed over 600 works, including more than 50 symphonies and 27 string quartets.
Death-Time achievement: Completed and released his own Requiem (with the help of his student Franz Süssmayr, whom his wife secretly commissioned for the job).

Dr. Benjamin Spock
Occupation: Child care guru
Date of Death: March 16, 1998
Age at Death: 94
Cause of Death: Old age
Lifetime Achievement: Medical doctor and author, who convinced boomers' parents to trust their instincts.
Death-Time Achievement: Continued to revise his advice in the June 1998 seventh edition of the best-selling Baby and Child Care, which recommended a milk- and meat-free diet for children. The doctor was able to complete the manuscript before his death. He was not, however, able to offset the ensuing furor of nutritionists, who claimed he had gone too far.

John F. Kennedy
Occupation: Politician, heartthrob
Date of Death: Nov. 22, 1963
Age at Death: 46
Cause of Death: Assassination
Lifetime Achievement: Won the Pulitzer Prize for his historical study Profiles in Courage.
Death-Time Achievement: Appeared in the Oscar-winning Forrest Gump in 1994 (thanks to previously filmed footage and some snazzy digital editing).

The Iceman
Occupation: Neolithic mountain man
Date of Death: Approximately 5,300 years ago
Age at Death: 40-something
Cause of Death: Disputed (possibilities include murder, ritual sacrifice, hypothermia)
Lifetime Achievement: Climbed a mountain.
Death-Time Achievement: Contributed to our understanding of innumerable fields from high-tech shoe design to acupuncture. His new museum has also brought in several million euros worth of museum fees near the site of his discovery in the Alps close to the Italian-Austrian border.

Hack Wilson
Occupation: Baseball legend
Date of Death: Nov. 23, 1948
Age at Death: 48
Cause of Death: Pneumonia
Lifetime Achievement: A still-standing record of 190 RBIs in 1930.
Death-Time Achievement: Was credited with an additional RBI in 1999 by Major League Baseball, increasing his record to 191.

[QW]

If you happened to miss Letterman last night check-out Hardball with Chris Matthews on MSNBC@7pm est. tonight...he will be talking to the 'phone-weilding gladiator'...if you miss the 7 pm airing it repeats at 11 pm est. 8)

[Jem]

Mel Gibson stalker gets three years prison


LOS ANGELES - A homeless man, who believed he had been sent by God to pray with "The Passion of the Christ" director Mel Gibson, was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday for stalking.

Zack Sinclair, 35, was recommended for psychiatric treatment as part of his prison term. The Idaho man began writing to Gibson after the release last year of "The Passion of the Christ" and later turned up at Gibson's Malibu mansion and at a church that he attends.

Gibson was not in court for the sentencing but he testified at Sinclair's trial in March that he was both worried about his family's safety and concerned for Sinclair's mental health.

Sinclair wrote 12 letters to Gibson saying he wanted to strengthen the actor-director's faith. "I realized we were probably dealing with someone fairly deluded," Gibson told the Los Angeles court in March.

Gibson said that at one point, Sinclair approached him at his church and put his face within four inches (10 cm) of the actor, asking him to pray.

Sinclair, who represented himself at trial, was convicted of stalking in March and said nothing on Wednesday before being given the maximum sentence permitted under California law.

[ElleNaturelle]

"O.J. Slammed for Satellite-TV Swiping


Wed Jul 27, 7:01 PM ET


Next time maybe O.J. Simpson should call the cable guy.

A federal judge in Miami on Tuesday ordered the former football great to pony up $25,000 in damages to DirecTV after allegedly pirating satellite TV signals.

The satellite-TV provider sued Simpson in March 2004, accusing him of piracy after government agents raided his Miami mansion in 2001 and turned up "bootloaders," illicit devices used to unscramble DirecTV's satellite signals.

At the time, the feds were investigating an ecstasy, money-laundering and satellite-theft ring. Simpson was never charged in relation to the probe.

After DirecTV filed suit, his attorney, Yale Galanter, claimed that, despite being a long-time paying customer, the Juice was being squeezed by the company.

On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard found in favor of DirecTV, and Galanter vowed to appeal on the grounds that Simpson didn't get a fair hearing. "

...................... for the rest of the story from yahoo news you can go here:

http://entertainment...2251606000.html

.............

Anyhow, all I have to say is this, at least he wasn't found guilty of murder! Seriously OJ, don't push your luck! In the mean time, the next time you contemplate stealing cable or anything else for that matter, why don't you just break out your handy dandy magic gloves... they sure seemed to help you last time.

[TV_Paige]

E! Online

Rosie Ready for 'Fiddler'


Rosie O'Donnell

Rosie O'Donnell finally gets to play matchmaker. The 12-time Emmy winner, who never met a show tune she didn't like on her eponymous chatfest, will join five-time Tony winner Harvey Fierstein in the Broadway revival of the musical, "Fiddler on the Roof," the show's producers announced on August 8. Her broadway run will be limited since the producers announced the show will close January 8, following a two-year run.

Beginning September 20 at the Minskoff Theater, O'Donnell will assume the role of Golde, the wife of Fierstein's Tevye the milkman, who's trying to uphold his family's Jewish traditions in pre-revolutionary Russia by marrying off his three oldest daughters, despite their wishes to find their own matches.


Harvey Fierstein as Tevye in
'Fiddler on the Roof'

"As a 20-year friend of Rosie's, I couldn't be happier that we will finally share a stage together," Fierstein said in a statement about his new costar. "With her understanding of 'Fiddler's' important place in theatrical history, I am positive she will uphold that tradition excitingly."

O'Donnell, 43, is no stranger to the Great White Way, having made her debut as Rizzo in Tommy Tune's 1994 revival of "Grease" and starred as the Cat in the Hat in 2001's "Seussical." In 2003, she produced Boy George's autobiographical musical, "Taboo," about the London club scene in the early '80s, and broke the cardinal rule of "The Producers" by underwriting the production's $10 million budget. Despite a massive online publicity push by the 'Queen of Nice,' the show closed after three months due to poor notices and sluggish ticket sales.


Meg Ryan and Rosie O'Donnell in 'Sleepless in Seattle'

O'Donnell's movie credits include "A League of Their Own," "Sleepless in Seattle," "Another Stakeout" and "Beautiful Girls." On the tube side, she's done guest stints on "Will and Grace," "Suddenly Susan," "Spin City," and "Queer as Folk" and most recently headlined the Hallmark Hall of Fame TV movie, "Riding the Bus With My Sister."

But it was as a syndicated daytime gabber hosting "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" from 1996 to 2002 that O'Donnell made her biggest mark and honed her devotion to Broadway by featuring the singing and dancing casts of many a Tony-winning musical.

Fierstein is best known for his semi-autobiographical play and film "Torch Song Trilogy" and notable film appearances in such films as "Mrs. Doubtfire." Before joining the cast of 'Fiddler,' he won a Tony for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical for "Hairspray."

[TV_Paige]

Associated Press

Christopher Reeve's Widow Discloses Lung Cancer Diagnosis


Dana Reeve

NEW YORK - Dana Reeve, who spent nine years caring for her paralyzed husband, Christopher Reeve, until his death last year, announced August 9 that she has lung cancer. Reeve, 44, said she decided to disclose her illness following rumors about her health in the media.

"I have recently been diagnosed with lung cancer, and am currently undergoing treatment," Reeve said in a statement. "I have an excellent team of physicians, and we are optimistic about my prognosis." Reeve continued, "Now, more than ever, I feel Chris with me as I face this challenge. As always, I look to him as the ultimate example of defying the odds with strength, courage and hope in the face of life's adversities."

Christopher Reeve, the onetime Hollywood "Superman" turned activist for spinal cord research after a horse-riding accident, died October 10, 2004. Dana Reeve, an actress, was a constant companion and supporter of her husband during his long ordeal and his work for a cure for spinal cord injuries.

She is chairwoman of the Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation, which funds research on paralysis and works to improve the life of the disabled. To date, it has awarded $55 million in research grants and $7.5 million in quality of life grants. She was performing in the Broadway-bound play "Brooklyn Boy" in California when she had to return home to reach her husband's bedside before he died. She gave up the role for the New York run.

Their son, Will, is 13 years old.

With the recent passing of Peter Jennings and the rise in cases reported of Lung Cancer, below are some links that might prove helpful to you or someone you love:

The Facts on Lung Cancer
From AOL Health:
What Are the Causes?
Detecting the Symptoms
Prevention

More Information:
Lung Cancer Center

[TV_Paige]

Everybody STILL Loves Lucy

by David Bauder, AP Television Writer


Lucille Ball

NEW YORK - Lucille Ball is America's most beloved dead star. The company that developed the "Q score" that broadcasters and advertisers quietly consult to measure a personality's popularity has done a survey that tests the reputation of performers who have gone on to that big soundstage in the sky.

The redheaded sitcom star of the 1950s and '60s, who died in 1989, has topped past "Dead Q" lists as her comedies seemingly live forever on television, said Steve Levitt, president of Marketing Evaluations, Inc., which conducts the tests. "What is there not to like about Lucy?" he said. Bob Hope, John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart and Red Skelton follow her on the popularity list.

For 41 years, Levitt's company has given consumers a list of names and asked if they know the people and to rate how much they like them. From their responses they calculate the Q score, a measure of both familiarity and likability. Advertising executives use the information to make sponsorship decisions, while broadcasters check Q scores to see how well their news and entertainment stars are connecting.


Johnny Carson

Two performers are relatively new to the list: Johnny Carson and John Ritter were both ranked among the 10 most popular dead stars. Others offer a reminder of television's power to keep people figuratively alive; "The Honeymooners" star Jackie Gleason, who died in 1987, is still remembered and beloved.

Tom Hanks has been the most popular live star in the last few surveys. Dead stars still do business, though. Coors used film clips of Wayne in a popular commercial, while Fred Astaire has danced to hawk a vacuum cleaner. "Some of these deceased personalities have Q scores equal to or greater than some of the live personalities we measure," Levitt said.

"Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz and Michael Landon fill out the top 10. Out of 169 personalities tested, diet doctor Robert Atkins had the lowest score. Tupac Shakur and Johnnie Cochran also have high negative ratings, Levitt said. The national survey was conducted by mail questionnaire.

Top 10 Deceased Celebs

1. Lucille Ball
2. Bob Hope
3. John Wayne
4. Jimmy Stewart
5. Red Skeleton
6. Johnny Carson
7. John Ritter
8. Jackie Gleason
9. "Peanuts" Creator Charles Schulz
10. Michael Landon